A new analysis found Ohio has some of the toughest requirements
for unemployment benefits. The Policy Matters Ohio report shows
Ohio is the only state besides Michigan where a worker who makes minimum
wage for 29 hours a week would not qualify for unemployment compensation. Ohio’s
standards require workers to earn an average of at least $230 a week for at
least 20 weeks of work to qualify for benefits.
The state also does not allow unemployed workers seeking part-time work
to receive benefits, which is permissible in most other states. Every
state must set qualification standards for unemployment compensation,
which is supposed to hold people over while they search for work if
they’re laid off.
Ohio’s transportation projects council unanimously approved
32 different projects totaling more than $2 billion. The projects
approved by the Transportation Review Advisory Council come amidst
debate over Gov. John Kasich’s Ohio Turnpike plan, which leverages the
turnpike’s profits for renewed infrastructure spending. Ohio Department
of Transportation officials say they’re optimistic about the turnpike
plan and the bond revenue it will produce in the short term.
A new report from the Ohio Public Interest Research Group found Cincinnati is a lot more transparent about spending than Cleveland. Cincinnati got a B+ for spending transparency, while Cleveland got an F.
The city of Cincinnati and a union representing city workers are currently negotiating
an out-of-court settlement over a lawsuit involving the city's pension
program. The American Federation of State, County and Municipal
Employees (AFSCME) claimed in a 2011 lawsuit that the city is not
meeting funding requirements set by the Cincinnati Retirement System
Board of Trustees.
The local branch of the NAACP is facing increased tensions. Three former presidents
are calling for a national investigation to look into the local
branch’s relationship with the Coalition Opposed to Additional Spending and
Taxes (COAST), a local conservative group. City Council Member Chris Smitherman, current president of the NAACP’s local branch, has close ties with COAST, but the three former presidents say partnering with COAST is the wrong direction for the NAACP.
Some Ohio schools need to do more
to protect students from concussions. Many schools are already
improving standards in anticipation of a state law that goes into effect
in April, but some large school districts are falling behind. The new
law requires school districts educate parents and families about
concussions, train coaches in recognizing symptoms of head injuries and
pull injured or symptomatic students from the field until a doctor
clears a return. CityBeat wrote about head injuries and how they relate to the NFL and Bengals here.
President Barack Obama renominated
Richard Cordray, former Ohio attorney general, to head the Consumers
Financial Protection Bureau. The nomination could have repercussions for
the 2014 governor’s race; Cordray was seen as a potential Democratic candidate.
Lightning could be a source of headaches and migraines, according to a new University of Cincinnati study.
Catholic Health Partners and Mercy Health are looking to fill 80 positions.
The Ingalls Building, which was the world’s first
reinforced-concrete skyscraper when it was built in downtown Cincinnati
in 1903, was sold for $1.45 million.
A Catholic hospital chain killed a lawsuit by arguing a fetus is not a person.
IBM developed a warmth-activated gel that could kill superbugs and break up tough bacterial biofilms. Maybe humans won’t need panda blood after all.

Council Member Chris Seelbach says he’s getting impatient
with streetcar delays. During a series of complaints aired on Twitter, Seelbach wrote the deadline for streetcar operation should be the Major
League Baseball All-Star Game in 2015. This week’s CityBeat cover story explains some of the delays and how the streetcar relates to the 2013 mayor’s race.
The Pentagon is planning to lift the ban
on women in combat situations. U.S. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said
the decision came after a recommendation from his Joint Chiefs of
Staff. Between the end of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and this decision,
President Barack Obama’s administration has been one of the most
inclusive when it comes to the military.
The Ohio Supreme Court has agreed to hear
a case questioning the constitutionality of JobsOhio. Policy group ProgressOhio says it might be illegal to use state liquor profits to
fund JobsOhio, a private nonprofit organization Gov. John Kasich set up
to drive economic growth in the state.
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game could bring
$60-$80 million to Cincinnati, according to Julie Heath,
director of the University of Cincinnati’s Economics Center. It was
recently announced Cincinnati will host the game in 2015.
Gov. Kasich said he won’t oust
State Board of Education President Debe Terhar after she made a
Facebook post comparing Obama to Adolf Hitler. Kasich is happy she
admitted it was a mistake, and he said he will leave it at that.
Democrats called for her ousting Tuesday.
American Military Partner Association, a national
organization that supports LGBT veterans, endorsed FreedomOhio’s
same-sex marriage amendment. If voters approve the amendment this
November, gay marriage will be legalized in Ohio. CityBeat wrote more about FreedomOhio’s ballot initiative here.
Cincinnati Public Schools is piloting an after-school program focusing on the arts. The high-energy sessions are apparently proving to be a hit among students so far.
U.S. Speaker John Boehner, a Republican from West Chester, says President Barack Obama is out to annihilate the Republican Party. I’m not seeing the problem here.
Moody’s doesn’t have confidence in U.S. nonprofit hospitals.
New science makes it possible to detect brain damage in football players that previously couldn’t be seen until a victim was dead. CityBeat covered how head trauma relates to former Bengals players' workers' comp claims here.
Popular Science explains how to make the perfect snowball.

On the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, House Health and Aging Chairman Lynn Watchman said anti-abortion legislation could come back
in the current legislative session. That includes the heartbeat bill,
which would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected, and a
plan to defund Planned Parenthood. CityBeat wrote about the anti-abortion legislation last time Ohio Republicans tried to bring it up here.
One Ohio Now, a group focused on the state budget, has a few requests
for Gov. John Kasich. They don’t want an income tax cut when the
revenue could be used to expand Medicaid and raise school funding. In other states, a Medicaid expansion correlated with better health results, and one study found expanding Medicaid could save Ohio money. More school funding could also make up for the last budget's massive cuts to education, which are explained on a county-by-county basis at Cuts Hurt Ohio.
While the state government is tearing down solar power initiatives, Cincinnati is working to update
Green Cincinnati. Environmental Quality Director Larry Falkin told
WVXU, “We’re broadening the plan to be not just focused on climate
protection, but more broadly on all areas of sustainability.” He added,
“It’s going to show us how Cincinnatians can live a better lifestyle
using less resources.” The plan was originally drafted in 2007 and
adopted a year later to prepare the city for changing environmental
realities.
Last year was good for local home sales. The Cincinnati Area Board of Realtors says home sales were at the highest levels since 2008.
A federal judge ended most of his court-mandated oversight of Ohio’s youth prisons
last Friday. The ruling shows how much progress has been made in state
youth facilities, according to Alphonse Gerhardstein, a Cincinnati
lawyer representing juvenile inmates.
Ohio Democrats are now calling
for Ohio State Board of Education President Debe Terhar to resign.
Terhar is facing criticism for comparing President Barack Obama to Adolf
Hitler when she posted an image of Adolf Hitler on her personal
Facebook page that read, “Never forget what this tyrant said: ‘To
conquer a nation, first disarm its citizens.’ — Adolf Hitler.”
Amy Murray is running for City Council.
Murray was appointed to City Council in 2011 when Chris Monzel left and became Hamilton County commissioner. But she lost her seat in the 2011 election, which swept Democrats into City Council.
Cincinnati and Columbus airports saw a drop in traffic, but it seems Dayton International Airport more than made up for it.
The National Council of Teachers wants Ohio to make its colleges more accountable and selective.
An investigation into the massive accident on I-275 could take days. The accident, which is believed to have caused at least 86 cars to crash, led to the death of a 12-year-old girl.
Blockbuster still exists, and it’s shutting down stores and cutting jobs.
A smoke screen company wants to use its product
to prevent more school shootings. The smoke screens fill up a room with
non-toxic smoke on demand, which could obscure a shooter’s vision.
Update for any women looking to have a neanderthal baby: The Harvard scientist was only saying it’s a possibility someday.

Ruling against former Bengals players illustrates the next step in NFL concussion saga

As America spends the next two weeks
readying for its largest annual sporting event, the spectacle, hype and
excitement of the Super Bowl will undoubtedly overshadow the toll our
enjoyment takes on the players on the field.

It’s tough, at this point, to debate the
fact that Bob Castellini might be the greatest thing to happen to the
Cincinnati sporting scene in the last decade. Coaches and players come
and go, but a commitment from ownership is the most important thing any
pro sports franchise needs for sustained success.

More than 18 years later, Hamilton
County’s Fernald Feed Materials Production Center is in the news again. A
new study found a correlation between higher rates of cancer mortality
and hourly workers, with some evidence of radiation causing intestinal
cancer.

If the adverse publicity from pleading
guilty to a minor crime — say indecent exposure or public intoxication —
is likely to cause you mental anguish, pray that you go before a judge
like Robert Lyons in Oxford.